High blood pressure: a growing problem

Hypertension, a chronic elevation of the blood pressure, is spreading among American adults. Roughly 73 million people in the United States ages 20 and older have high blood pressure, or one in three adults, according to research by the American Heart Association.

High blood pressure is easy to detect with routine trips to the doctor's office. However, roughly one in three people who have hypertension are unaware of their conditions. If left unchecked, the effects of high blood pressure can be deadly. The death rate from the disorder increased by 26.6 percent from 1994 to 2004, and the actual number of deaths increased by 56.1 percent.

What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure is one of the principal vital signs of healthy human functioning. The term itself references the force of circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels in the body.

Blood pressure is measured by two numbers: systolic and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is defined as the pressure in the arteries near the beginning of the cardiac cycle. Diastolic pressure is the blood pressure during the resting phase of the cardiac cycle. A healthy adult has an average blood pressure of roughly 120 (systolic) over 80 (diastolic). These numbers can change on a daily basis.

High blood pressure occurs when the blood pressure is consistently higher than it should be. Low blood pressure, or hypotension, is also a problem that requires medical attention. For now though, we'll focus on the symptoms, causes and treatments for hypertension.

Symptoms are rarely seen

Many people associate feelings of stress or anxiety with high blood pressure. While these conditions can make treatment more difficult for people with hypertension, these factors alone do not cause the disorder. In fact, most people with hypertension rarely show any symptoms. Patients usually don't learn about their high blood pressure until they visit their doctors for routine checkups, which include blood pressure tests – the only surefire way to detect the problem.

Another misconception is that people with hypertension are usually hyperactive people. That's not true, either. Anyone can have hypertension, even those who are calm and relaxed. It's important to visit your doctor on a regular basis to be checked for hypertension and other potential health problems.

There are some symptoms associated with accelerated hypertension. These symptoms include:

• Somnolence
• Confusion
• Eyesight problems
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Some people with hypertension have reported showing other symptoms including headaches, exhaustion, light-headedness, blurred vision, facial flushing and difficulty sleeping. As stated above though, the only way to be certain of the state of your blood pressure is to visit your doctor.

Hypertension in children

It is possible for children to suffer from high blood pressure. And with the recent rise in childhood obesity rates, detecting hypertension in young people is more important than ever. Like in adults, there are very few outward symptoms when children develop the disorder. Childhood obesity is usually a sign of a different type of disorder, but it can definitely contribute to the onset of high blood pressure.

Causes

Causes of hypertension are largely unknown. In most cases of high blood pressure – up to 95 percent of cases – the causes are unknown, according to the American Heart Association. High blood pressure is referred to “primary hypertension” when its cause is unknown.

When causes are known, the disorder is referred to as "secondary hypertension." Known causes of secondary hypertension include:

• Kidney abnormality
• Structural flaw of the aorta
• Narrowing of arteries
• Insulin resistance

Why don't more people die from hypertension?

Many people have high blood pressure, and many of those people aren't even aware that they have it. It seems surprising that high blood pressure isn't more of a problem than it currently is. However, the heart, brain and kidneys can handle increased blood pressure for years. That's also why people who have the disorder rarely show any symptoms.

That said, high blood pressure greatly increases the risk of strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and kidney failure. The risk escalates even further when people with hypertension are also obese, smokers, diabetic or have high cholesterol. Hypertension makes your heart work harder, and it puts more stress on your arteries. The results could be damaging not only to your cardiovascular system, but to other organs as well.

Many people believe stress or emotional distress contributes to causing high blood pressure. Medical research has not found any consistent links between the two. However, studies have shown that people with hypertension don't fare as well if they're under a lot of stress. By itself, though, stress is not usually believed to contribute to causing hypertension.

Risk factors for hypertension:

• Lack of physical activity: People who are active are more likely to have healthy cardiovascular systems, which promote more regular blood pressure.
• Too much salt intake: People who put lots of salt on their food are more likely to have high blood pressure.
• Alcoholism: Alcohol consumption can dramatically affect blood pressure.
• Race: African Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure.
• Age: Hypertension usually occurs in people older than 35, and chances of developing the disorder increase with age.
• Heredity: You're more likely to develop hypertension if others in your family have it.
• Obesity: A slender person is less likely to develop hypertension.

Treatment

Lifestyle changes

The fact is this: healthy people are less likely to suffer from hypertension. So, it makes sense that the best way to treat high blood pressure is to make healthy changes to your way of life.

Jogging, swimming, biking or other aerobic activities are recommended to improve blood flow and reduce resting heart rate. Aerobic activity is also crucial in maintaining a healthy weight and body fat percentage. Exercise also helps reduce stress and strengthen your body against other possible health problems that could worsen the effects of hypertension.

Dietary changes

People with hypertension should reduce the amount of salt and sugar in their diets. Fruits and vegetables are recommended along with low-fat or fat-free dairy foods. Increased calcium intake can also help lower blood pressure. Nowadays, many types of beverages including orange juice and soda are being fortified with vitamins and calcium. You can also buy calcium tablets, although do not begin taking dietary supplements without first speaking to your doctor.

Cut out smoking and drinking alcohol

Nicotine and alcohol have been shown to increase blood pressure. Plus, smoking is a heavy contributor to several other health problems, significantly escalating the risk of complications associated with high blood pressure.

Try to relax

Stress may not be a certified cause of hypertension, but being stressed out definitely increases the risk of complications among people with high blood pressure. Seeking relaxation therapy or learning meditation techniques can help people with hypertension.

Medication

Only severe cases of hypertension require medication as a treatment. Lifestyle changes don't work for everyone, and then medication is required to solve the problem. There are several drugs, called antihypertensives, on the market to reduce blood pressure. Often times several drugs are needed to adequately control blood pressure.

Drug treatments tend to have the most benefits when used by patients with severe hypertension. All medications have some type of side effects. Medications to treat high blood pressure have not been incredibly beneficial when used by people with low- to moderately elevated blood pressure.